Expanded-metal manufacture.



No. 845,617. A PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907,

N. E. CLARK. EXPANDED METAL MANUFACTURE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5,1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N C I Q M 1 a/witnesses 5444mm {Ls AZ 5 (Law/r No. 845,617. PATENTEDFEB. 26, 1907. N. E. CLARK;

EXPANDED METAL MANUFACTURE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEL1906" 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EXPANDED-METAL MANUFACTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed June 5,1906. Serial No. 320.254.

To all w/wm it may concern.

Be it known that I, NORRIS ELMORE CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plainville, Hartford county, Connectiout, have inventedcertain newand useful Improvements in Expanded-Metal Manufacture, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in metal-working, and particularlythe manufacture of expanded metal. I

One object of my invention is to produce a tube of expanded metal.

Another object of my invention is to manufacture flat expanded metal ofthe character set forth in United States Letters "Patent ,No. 767,798,granted me August 16, 1904,

with great rapidity and at low cost.

Another object is to produce economically a material suitable forconcrete reinforcements, lathing, &c., having great strength,uniformity, and retaining power.

The invention contemplates the expansion byinternal pressure of a tubeof sheet metal having slits alternating with each other and arrangedlongitudinally of the tube, so as to separate the strands and form anexpanded tube having openings. When a flat sheet as distinguished from acylindrical sheet is desired, the tube is opened out. When a roughenedproduct is desired, the flat sheet may be sub ected to a corrugating orroughening action for bending the bonds and strands. By tube I do notnecessarily mean one having a .circular cross-section. The tube may beformed from a single sheet of metal having its edges brought together,and it may be flattened on the sides, if desired. The tube may also beformed by uniting two 'or more sheets of metal. The metal may be slittedbefore or after the formation of the tube, according to the machineryemployed and the results desired. When the slitted tube is formed, it issubjected to internal pressurefor instance, by drawing 1t over amandrelwhich causes the strands to separate from each other and formopenings. The shape of the mandrel may be varied; but a circularcross-section or one approaching the circular and having a smoothsurface is preferred, since this produces a more uniform prroduct. Thetubular product resulting om the expansive action is suitable forvarious kinds of work. A greater scope of utility is, however, found inthe flat product of i my former patent. The tube is readil conofmanufacture, but wish it understood that I reserve the right to claim inanother appli cation the mechanism herein described.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the outline of a sheet of metal passingthrough the various steps of my improved method. Fig. 2 indicates theshape of the original flat slitted sheet or strip. Fig. 3 shows theslitted sheet arched. Fig. 4 shows it formed into a tube. Fig. 5 showsthe tube expanded. Fig. 6 shows the expanded tube flattened out. Therelative sizes of Figs. 2 and 6 show the lateral expansion, while therelative sizes of Figs. 4 and 5 show the relative tubular expansion.Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a double thickness ofmetal forming a flat tube. Fig. 8 is similar to Fig. 4, but shows theflat tube formed into a round tube, the edges being united and formingflanges convenient for feed engagement. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig.6, showing the double expanded sheet flattened out. Fig. 10 is adiagrammatic side elevation of one form of mechanism for carrying outthe steps of "my invention to produce a flat product. The outline of themetal being operated upon is shown in dotted lines. Fig. 11 is a planview. of the same. folding-rolls. Fig. 13 is a similar detail oftube-forming rolls. Fig. 14 is a'detail showing a fragment of a mandreland means for feeding and holding the expanding sheet. Fig. 15 is adetail side view of two of the feed-chain links.

The relative positions and sequence of steps is shown in Fig. 1, inwhich 1 indicates the flat stock. 2 indicates the stock afterslittinglongitudinally. 3 indicates the stock folded or formed into anarch. 4 indicates the tubular formation. 5 indicates the tubularexpansion by mandrel action. 6 indicates the flattened product. 7indicates the corrugated product, and 8 indicates the coil 7 1 In Y thispresent application I claim the method Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail of9 formed for convenience in handling and shipping. All these steps maybe carried out in one machine, if desired, or in separate machines. Thesteps are, however, of such a nature that great economy of operationresults from their operation in a continuous machine requiring only onehandling of the material.

2 indicates a double sheet or flat tube. 4 indicates a round tube formedtherefrom, and 6 indicates the double expanded sheet. The double sheetmay be formed from a single sheet folded in the center, or it may beformed from two narrow sheets. The edges may be secured together byanysuitable mean sfor instance, by clamps, by clips, or bywelding. Thedouble sheet is, in effect, already a fiat tube. In operating on adouble sheet, such as 2, the arching and tubing rolls are unnecessary,since the sheet is simply drawn over the mandrel after'inserting the tipof the mandrel between the upper and lower parts of the sheet. After thedouble expanded sheet is formed the edges may be separated or leftconnected, according to how the material is to be used. The flat doublesheet is useful for many purposes in the con' dition shown in Fig. 9.

Sheet 2 shows diagrammatically'details of one form of mechanism forcarrying out the expanding and flattening steps of my inven tion. 7 7are feed-rolls. 8 8 are slitting or lancing rolls for forming slits inthe stock, ex-' tending longitudinally of. the direction of travel andarranged alternately in any suitable way, so that the slits may beopened laterally of their length. pair of feed-rolls, which serve toflatten the slitted product, so that the subsequent expanding action mayhe more uniform. 10 and 11 indicate two rolls cooperating to form theflat slitted sheet into an arch. 12 12 indicate two rolls shaped to formthe arched slitted sheet into a-tube. In order that the tube formationmay be more perfect, I prefer to employ a central core 13, extendinginto the space between the tubing-rolls 12-12. 14 indicates the exanding-mandrel, which in this instance is s own as carrying the centralcore 13. The core may, however, be formed separately. 15 indicates acontinuouslydriven chain for feeding or drawing the tubular sheet overthe surface of the mandrel. When the surface of the expanding-mandrel issmooth and unbroken, the expansion of the sheet is uniform at everypoint on an section. When the mandrel 1s tapered, t e expansion isgradual from the beginning to the end and proportional to the increasein mandrel-surface.

16 16 indicate rolls for flattening the product. The mechanismillustrated is particularly intended for forming the tube from a flirtstrip, expanding the tube, and then openo ing it and flattening theexpanded sheet. corrugating the flattened s set.

'ously formed by drawing or weldin 9 9 indicate a second.

The edges of the original strip when it is brought into tubular formneed, therefore, be only temporarily connected. This may be accomplishedin any suitable mannerfor instance, by a chain having links 17 and 18.Each link'17 has a projecting tooth 19, adapted to pass through anopening in the tube and travel along in a groove 20 in themandrel-surface. The two corresponding teeth 19 19, as shown in Fig. 14,thus serve to I hold the edges of the sheet 5 together and in contactwith the mandrel. When the chain lets go of the expanded tube, the edgesof the tubular sheet spring away from the mandrel, and the sheet may bethen passed between th rolls 16 16 for flattening and setting the bondsand strands in the same plane, as set forth in my Patent No. 788,093, ofApril 25, 1905. After the product has been smoothed by the rolls 16 16it may be again rolled to elongate the strands, if desired, or the sameaction may be obtained by suitably adjusting the pressure between therolls 16 16.

The expanded product may be subjected to further action, such ascorrugation, for producing a material having projections lying indifferent planes and forming pockets, as described and claimed inanother application, Serial No. 323,451, filed June 26, 1906.

When it is desired to use the product in tubular form, it is unnecessarytoopen the tube after expansion. It is therefore a simple matter eitherto permanently unite the edges of a flat strip before expansionforinstance, by weldingor to slit a tube reviile it is preferred to expandthe tube w ile feeding it forward, the expansion may be accomplished byinternal pressure while stationary.

While I have shown a chain for feeding the tubular sheet during theexpansive action, it should be understood that I contemplate the use ofclamps, rolls, traveling blocks fed by screws, &c., and hence claim,broadly, the method set forth irrespective of the form or character offeeding device.

What I claim is -1. A method of expanding metal, which includes slittinga strip, formin tube, and expanding it while in tu 'ular form.

2. A method of expanding metal, which includes drawing a tube of slittedmetal over an expanding-mandrel having a continuous bearing-surface.

3. A method of forming expanded metal, which incliides expanding aslitted tube, opening the tube, and corrugating the product.

4. A method of forming expanded metal, which includes expanding aslitted tube of metal, opening the tube, and flattening the product.

5. A method of expanding metal, which includes expanding a slitted tube,openin the tube, flattening the ex anded sheet, an

it into a I exp anding-surface.

.8. A method of expanding metal, which comprises subjecting a tube oflongitudinallypressure to separate the strands and form slitted metal togradually-increaslng internal openings.

9. A method of expanding metal, includ ing slitting the metallongitudinally, flattening it, forming it into a tube, and expanding thetube.

10. A method of expandin metal, includingslitting the metal ongituinally, flattening) it, forming it into a tube, ex anding the e, andflattening'the expande product. 11. A method of ex anding metal,including slitting the metal on'gitudinally, flattening it, forming itinto a tube, expanding the tube, and' flattening and corrugating theexpanded product. A

12. A method of expanding metal, which includes fastening together aplurality of slitted strips of metal superimposed upon one another,simultaneously expanding the strips, and then separating the ex andedsheets.

13. A method ofexpanding metal, including temporarily fastening togetherthe edges of a sheet or sheets of slitted material, expanding the sheetor sheets, and then separating the edges.

14. A method of expanding sheet'metal, which includes drawing a tubularslitted sheet of metal. over a gradually-tapered mandrel.

15. A method comprises drawing a sheet of slitted stock over a smoothsubstantially continuous bearing-surface increasin in area in proportionto the expansion oft e-m'etal 16'. A method of expandingmetal, whichcomprises subj ectingthe entire area of a sheet of slitted stock to thesame ultimate pressure and substantially at right angles to its surace.1

17. A method of expanding sheet metal which comprises slitting-thestock, flatte the slitted stock, "forming it into a't'ube anthen-expanding the slittedtube.

18. A'methed of expanding sheet metal, A which comprises slitting thestock, flattening the slitted stock, tubing it, expanding theofiexpanding metal, which slitted tube and then flattening the expandedsheet.

'19. A method of expanding sheet metal,

which comprises slitting the stock, flattening the slitted stock, tubingit, expanding the tube and then corrugating, the expanded sheet.-

20. A method of expanding sheet metal which comprises slitting thestock, flattening the slittedstock, forming it into a tube, ex-

panding the tube, flattening the expanded sheet, and corrugating theflattened sheet.

21. A method of expanding sheet metal, in-

cluding drawing a tube of slitted metal over a mandrel having agradually-increasing surface area.

22. A method of expanding metal which includes forming a tube of slittedmetal drawing the tube over an expanding-mandrel and opening theexpanded tube.

23. A method of forming expanded metal I which includes forming a tubeof slitted metal, expanding the tube opening the expanded tube andflattening the product.

. 24. A method of expanding metal which includes forming a tube of metalwith'l'o'n tudinally-arranged slits, subjecting the tu e to internalpressure to separate the strands and form openings and then opening the.tube.

25. A method of expanding metal, which includes slitting a strip ofmetaL'forming it into a tube, expanding the tube and flattening theproduct.

26. A method of expanding sheet metal,

'which includes slitting a strip of metal, arching the slitted strip,then forming it; into a tube, and then expanding the tube.

27. A method of expanding metal, which includes slitting a strip, thenarching it, then tubing it, 'expanding the tube and opening 7 theexpandedtube.

28. A method of expanding metal, which includes slitting a strip, thenrolling 'it, then tubing it, expanding the tube, opening the expandedtube and attening theproduct.

29. A method of expanding-metal, which includes slitting a strip ofmetahforming it into a tube and drawing thetube over anexpanding-mandrel.

30. A: method .of'formingexpanded metal, which includes slitting a stripof metal, form- .ing it into a tube, expanding the tube, openg theexpanded tube and flattening the product.

. NORRIS ELMORE CLARK.

Witnesses: Y i

4 LAURENS W. PIERCE, 7 WM. A. BENTON. f

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